Interview with Julien Faure, Kedger and creator of the successful restaurant "Le Gros Plein de Soupe"!

1️⃣ To begin, tell us about your educational background. What did you study, both before and at KEDGE?

I’m a pure product of Marseilles. In 2010, with my high school diploma (focus on sciences) in my pocket, I began the CeseMed programme at KEDGE, taking the Hispanic track. This programme particularly appealed to me because of its international aspect, which gave one the chance to travel and acquire completely different professional and personal experiences.

After studying on the Luminy campus for three semesters, I did a six-month internship in Sydney, Australia with the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce. This experience was incredible in every way. At just 18 years of age and, having left home for the first time, I found myself alone on the other side of the world without knowing anyone, without any real business experience, and without really knowing how to speak English. And I loved it. 

After that, I decided to spend a year in Guadalajara, Mexico, which was just as incredible, and attended TEC in Monterrey. It was a great year during, particularly since I met two of my friends who were students at EM Grenoble and, who, seven years later, became my associates. 

I spent my last semester at the Carlos III University in Madrid, which was a completely different way of living and studying - much less exotic but just as interesting. Finally, I did my end-of-studies internship in Paris and then graduated in 2014.

2️⃣ Tell us what you did after your studies were finished. What positions have you held? What did you learn in those positions?

I experienced my first business creation during my end-of-year internship at a startup. The idea (which I had brought back from Australia) was to develop the first line of ERGONOMIC TONGS created by Australian chiropodists. I worked there for more than three years. Our brand was called Ozify.

That experience taught me a lot. First of all, I learned all the operational fundamentals of creating a business creation (putting into place the processes, finding financing, creating development and business plans, holding a major fundraising campaign, etc.). I learned international business through negotiations, writing distribution agreements, forming logistics partnerships, and setting up production lines in Asia. I discovered the joy of spending entire nights in suffocating Chinese factories waiting for the goods to finally be ready and in the expected state. We also flew to trade fairs around the world to exhibit our products to find distributors who had confidence in us. All of which made Ozify an incredible experience and taught me a lot. Most importantly, I think I learned what it was like to be an entrepreneur and was able to build on the good things and learn from the mistakes I made when I later et up my own company.

 We worked on the idea for almost three years and then finally chose a distributor with a larger company who was in a better position to develop it. We signed a brand licence with it. I worked on the transition and then I was able to start a new chapter, the "Le Gros Plein de Soup", in my life without stress.

JULIEN FAURE - LINKEDIN

3️⃣ Tell us about your project. What is your situation today? What gave you the idea and why do you want to do what you’re doing today?

The birth of the Le Gros Plein de Soupe project happened over a casual weekend in early 2017 at the home of one of my associates-to-be. This weekend was a sort of return to our roots, and at every meal, we were served a soup with vegetables that came from their huge vegetable garden and which were, of course, organic. Each soup was different, and each just as good as the others. At the time I was working in the centre of Paris and was finding it hard to find good, healthy, nourishing, and quick places to eat during my lunch breaks.

The idea came to us to combine values that would appeal to a large part of the young working people we were part of, namely a concept of healthy fast food in a spirit of conviviality reminiscent of meals we had at our grandmothers’ homes Customers could eat in or take away, but the food would always be varied, and made with fresh, seasonal products, using only organic, home-made fruit and vegetables. Additionally, it would have an ecological added-value because all packaging would be vegetable-based and compostable.

Between the idea and the actual launch of the project, there were many steps. First of all, I didn't see myself starting it alone, so I looked for people around me who might be interested and who had a personality that would complement mine for the starting of a business. I suggested the idea to my best friend who, although immediately enthusiastic about it, worked for a large company with a very good salary and great job stability. I had to convince her to give up everything to go ahead with me. We also convinced another friend (the grandson of the woman who reintroduced us to soup) to join us, but without him having to leave his job. We then gave ourselves several months to study its feasibility and finally decided to go ahead.

We then had to convince a bank to provide support, find a location and, most importantly learn the cooking business. WE, who used to be (although big fans of Top Chef) big fans of cooking pasta with pesto added directly in the pan. All this led to the official launch of the Gros Plein de Soupe in December 2017 (located at 12 rue de Clichy in the 9th arrondissement of Paris). More than two years later, the success of this restaurant sale made us think about opening a second restaurant in Paris. But then the lockdown happened, and two months of "forced" life in the south (all three of us are from Marseilles) overruled the logic of expanding in Parisian expansion and we decided to bring our concept to Aix-en-Provence. In mid-September 2020, we opened our second restaurant, with an adapted menu, located at 380 rue Jean de Guiramand, Aix Les Milles.

LE GROS PLEIN DE SOUPE

4️⃣ What are your development objectives for the future?

Of course, first of all, we wanted to get through this period, which is complicated for all restaurant owners, by launching this second restaurant as best we could. In particular, we are developing a system of delivery which we are currently experimenting with the restaurant in Aix Les Milles. Then want to continue to expand our network of restaurants, initially in the South of France and then in other regions, through a franchise network. 

With the success of our restaurant venture, we are open to the idea of developing other related projects. When you get a taste for project creation, and you have lots of support, why stop?

5️⃣ If you were to give advice to any KEDGE graduate who wants to do something similar, what would it be?

Being an entrepreneur means having freedom and autonomy. We are the only master and there’s no one to give us orders. Socially, it’s looked on very favourably and, if the project works, we can easily find financing.

All this may be true, however, one that isn’t stressed enough is that an entrepreneurial venture requires that one be mentally and physically ready for lots of sacrifices. Many start-ups die very quickly because the people running them realise, and the end of the day, they aren’t ready to make the necessary sacrifices of time, energy, and money after all.

An entrepreneur doesn’t count his or her hours. He or she must be prepared to sacrifice evenings, sleep, weekends, paid holidays, the job perks time, salary, and all financial comforts if necessary. An entrepreneur must be able to handle times of high pressure, sleepless nights, and pacing. According to me, I think we don’t often talk about this enough, but it is part of the life of an entrepreneur. I can assure you that I’ve experienced it all, and still do sometimes. Having insomnia and writing ideas on my iPhone at 3:00 am is common. But even in difficult times, you mustn’t give up. You have to fight, with will and determination, and success will come. It's in those moments that you learn the most - about others, about the business, and most of all, about yourself.

Believe me, if you had told me when I was a student that I would find myself five years later waking up at 5 am to cut vegetables, working like crazy for minimum wage, having only one week's holiday the first year on the job, and that I would enjoy doing it, I wouldn't ever have believed you. However, professionally I’ve never experienced such an exciting, exciting, and rewarding adventure. Don't hesitate to associate yourself with people you can trust, who are dependable, and who share your vision of the project, but more importantly, on your way of working. If you manage to form a good partnership, your successes will be more satisfying, and the difficult times will be easier to handle. Whatever your project, give everything you have to bring it to life. Believe in it and, above all, believe in yourself!

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